Jessica Reeder

What provoked you to quit your job and start traveling?

It was a combination of factors: I was ready to take my writing to a new level, and I was tired of my citified, environmentally irresponsible lifestyle. I knew there were people out there in the world who were living sustainably, and I wanted to learn from them so I could rebuild my own life in a more sustainable and conscious way. 

However, there’s a huge disconnect between the environmentalist’s lifestyle and the average city-dweller’s habits. I was coming from the city, so I had a lot of things to learn from scratch. 

By blogging as I learned new things, I wanted to reach out to other people like me, who were also ready to learn about green living. I hoped to show that learning to live sustainably could be fun and exciting even for a city kid.

Why was it important for you to travel in a sustainable way?

Well, I really didn’t have any extra money to play with. My travel fund was $5,000. I had no car, and there was a lot of ground to cover. Traveling slowly and for pennies was my only option – but it turned out to be the best possible way to go. I had time to learn more and to really enjoy each place before moving on. I made some amazing personal connections on the way, too.

What were some of the lessons you learned while traveling?

The biggest lesson was to let go and stop trying to worry and control things. There is a very wonderful world out there, but you can’t tell it what to do. It tells you.

Had you been blogging prior to Uprooted?

I’ve been creating various websites and pages since 1995. It’s in my blood. Blogging really took off for me in about 2004, and in 2005 I worked and blogged for the Burning Man festival. Since then, my goal is to earn a living as a blogger.

What do you think makes blogging and social media unique?

A. In traditional media, it takes years of training and rejections before your ideas see the light. When you use social media, you can start publishing right away, and learn as you go. 

This is the crucial distinction between information flow in the 20th and 21st centuries. These days, everybody has the means to inform their opinions and make them widely known. 

Not only that, but everything is up for discussion. 

Media has become a conversation instead of a lecture, and this creates a whole new level of personal connection between writers and readers.

How has social media helped in sharing your story?

For me, the Internet is my home. It’s where I came of age, overcame my shyness and found my “voice.” There are a lot of introverts online, and they all know what I’m talking about. Without social media, I’d be a frustrated artist working office jobs and writing bad poetry.

How do you think blogging and social media fits into the paradigm of traditional media?

Poorly at the moment, bloggers as a bunch are not very good with rules, and traditional media is built on a strict ethical and hierarchical framework. 

Social media is subverting that dominant paradigm. However, I think “good” journalism will always be held in higher esteem than amateurish writing, and truly dedicated bloggers continually aim to provide the best information available. 

The biggest difference is that bloggers aren’t required to be neutral, and our opinions can get out of hand. The world will always need hacks and rabble-rousers, and certainly as a lot of people “learn Internets” there’ll be a strong tendency for the louder voices to be heard more clearly. 

I expect that as information processing evolves both on the Web and in people’s craniums, traditional journalism and new media will merge and journalistic ethics will right themselves.

You’ve started a new website and blog, could you tell us more about it and what your mission is?

LoveandTrash.com! It’s a project with some of my good friends. We call ourselves “a DIY blog for people who do things differently.” 

On the road, I developed a passion for “life hacking” and doing things myself, and a deep love for living sustainably. As I mentioned, the information on how to get started doing this stuff wasn’t very readily available. 

Most DIY blogs would have you building robots or crocheting adorable octopi.

Those are hobby projects, but what about the person who wants to change their lifestyle? 


Where do you start if you want to “go green”? 


How do you begin building and making things if you’ve never done it before? How can you live better if you’re broke all the time?

At Loveandtrash.com, we deal with the same issues. We often test the ideas we write about. For example, one of our editors just threw out most of her wardrobe and is now living with only 15 items of clothing. Want to know what that’s like for a suburban mom? She will gladly tell you. 

We post things that anybody can do, easily, without an engineering degree or $100 in materials. It’s also a ton of fun.

What are some ways women can support women in media?

There are lots of women doing great things in the media, but there are also many women whose stories are not being told. If you have a blog, a Facebook page or any other outlet, don’t use it to talk about celebrities. Instead, talk about the women you know personally, your family members and friends, who deserve recognition. This is why I love See Jane Do.

What is your message to women around the word?

I should be so wise. Can I just say “thanks”? Especially to my grandparents’ generation?

See Jane Do is a multimedia program capturing the stories of everyday women doing extraordinary things for the planet. Catch the one-hour talk radio program on KVMR 89.5FM the first Wednesday of every month at 1 p.m.

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Five websites on sustainable living that Jessica recommends:

1. Zilok – Rent Anything Online! Rent gadgets, tools, computers, cars from their owners. Rent out your own stuff.
2. Hyperlocavor – A yard-sharing community. Share your yard with a willing gardener. Find a place to grow your own food, even if you don’t have land.
3. Craigslist.org – Rideshare Board. Hitch a ride with like-minded folks living in your area and share some great conversation.
4. Neighborhood Fruit – Post listings of fruits and veggies ready to be harvested. Find free pickable food in your own neighborhood.
5. Loveandtrash.com – a DIY blog for people who do things differently.